Loom



1949- E. e. MASCARENHAS 2,477,996-

' LOOM Filed April 25, 1945 3 sheeltspsheet 1 I INVENTOR. Ene s G. 'fllascar-enhas E. G. MASCAREN HAS Aug. 2, 1949.

Loom

s Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 25, 1945 INVENTOR. Eneas ahfl lascare nhas AT ORNEYS Patented Aug. 2, 1949 UNITED srArss PATENT ossics Eneas G. Mascarenhas, Minas, Brazil I Application April 25, '1945, Serial No. 590,103

6 Claims. (Cl. 139-242)- The present invention relates to a copchanging mechanism and war stop-motion for looms.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an automatic cop changing and loom stopping mechanism and warp stop-motion of very simple construction, capable of extremely emcient operation in conjunction with high speed looms. A further object is to reduce the number of parts comprising these mechanisms and to simplify their connections with the loomand loom circuit.

These and other objects are attained by mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a loom embodying the principles of the subject invention. and more particularly, a loom shown and described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 426,963, filed January 16, 1942, now Patent Fig. 2 is an end view of the cop changing mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, somewhat diagrammatic, of the weft cop feeler'mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the weft cop feeler shown in Fig. 3, showing the electric switch which it actuates, diagrammatically;

-' Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the cop feeler shown in Fig. 4, showing it in contact with an exhausted cop, its diagrammatically represented switch being shown closed; 1 Fig. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 5 showing the cop feeler in contact with a cop which is not exhausted, the switch being shown open;

Fig. 7 is a somewhat diagrammatic view in side elevation of the weft fork and the mechanism immediately controlled thereby;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of said weft fork, showing the grid and recess of the lay;

1 Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation of two of the warp drop wires showing a taut thread engaged by one and a slack thread engaged by the other;

-and

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic layout of the electrical system of the entire mechanism herein described and claimed.

- occurs in the electrical system. It controls the flow of electric currentfrom conventional source [3. Its place and function in the mechanism as a whole will hereinafter be described.

The cop changing mechanism 2| shown in 2 Figs. 2 and 10 is conventional. The controh, however. and more particularly the system of which they form a part, are-of applicant's invention. Rocking arm 22 which directly actuates the mechanism II is a conventional member in said mechanism. It is pivotally connected to a compressed air actuated piston rod 23 whose piston member 24 is slidably mounted in cylinder 25 in the usual manner. Valve 26 actuated by rod 21 controls the supply of fluid from the source of supply thereof (not shown) through pipe 23 to cylinder 25. Piston rod 23 is provided with stud member 29 whose function will hereafter appear. Rod 21 is pivotally connected to one end of armature 30 of electromagnet 3i, and another electromagnet 3! adjacent the center of the.

armature. It will be noted that rod 32 actuates a switch 33 comprising parallel rocking arms 34 and 35 permanently pivoted, respectively, to terminals 36 and 31, and engaging respectively, contact points 33 and 39. A tension spring 43 normally maintains said armature out of contact with the electromagnet. It will be seen that when the armature is in such normal position, arm 34 closes the circuit between terminal 36 and contact point 38. When the armature is attracted to the electromagnet, this circuit is opened and the circuit between terminal 3'! and contact point 39 closed through rocking arm 35. It will also be seen that when the electromagnet is energized. rod 21 will open valve 28 and fluid will enter cylinder 25, thereby causing piston rod 23 to actuate rocking arm 22 of the cop changing mechaby means of electric conductor 4| to electromagnet 3i and that contact point 38 is connected to weft cop feeler 50 and more particularly to key 56 of switch 5i thereof, by means of electric conductor 42. Weft cop feeler 50 is of standard construction. Its feeling rod 52 is shown in Fig. 5 in contact with an exhausted cop 53 in shuttle 54 and in Fig. ,6 in contact with cop 53 which is not exhausted.- Weft cop feeler 50 is'ailixed to the right hand shuttle'box hereinafter described.

Key 56 of switch Si is normally held out of contact with terminal 51 by means of tension spring 58. An adjustable screw 59 carried by arm 33 on feeling rod 52 actuates said key and closes the circuit when the cop which the feeling rod engages becomes exhausted. An electric conductor 3| con- 3 hects terminal 51 of switch ll with contact point 32 of rocking switch 34.

It will be seen in Fig. 10 that rocking switch 04 comprises an inverted T-shaped member 04 which is pivoted at the contact point. 05 where its vertical and horizontal parts meet. An electric conductor 66 connects the pivot point with switch 20. Electric conductors 01 and connect switch 20 and electro-magnet 3|. It thus becomes apparent that when the appropriate switches are actuated, a complete circuit, which will be designated as circuit A, is set up in which the cop changing mechanism and the weft cop feeler are in series with each other. Specifically, the circuit comprises the following: source of current I 3, loom switch 20, conductor 08, contact point 65, T-shaped member 64, contact point 62, conductor 0|, switch conductor 42, contact point 30, rocking arm 34, terminal 36, conductor 4|, electromagnet 3|, conductor 68. conductor 61, and back to loom switch 20 and current source I3.

It will be noted that when circuit A is closed, electromagnet 3| becomes energized, thereby attracting armature 30, and actuating switch 33. This causes a breaking of the contact between arm 34 and contact point 38, but at the same time it causes arm 35 to engage contact point 39. A second circuit, circuit B is now closed which is comprised of the following elements: source of current I9, loom switch 20, conductor 66, contact point 65, T-shaped member 64, contact point 02, conductor 6i, conductor 10, terminal 1|, arm 12 pivoted to said terminal 1|, contact point 13 mounted on said pivoted arm, fixed contact point 14, conductor 15, contact point 39, arm 35,

terminal 31, conductor 4i, electromagnet 3|, condoctor 68, conductor 61, and back to loom switch 20 and source of current I0.

It is apparent that when either circuit A or circuit B is closed, the cop changing mechanism 2I will be caused to operate.

Stud 29 carried by piston rod 23 now comes into play. When electromagnet Si is energized, it causes valve 26 to open, thereby admitting fluid into cylinder 25 and causing piston rod 23 to move upwardly, actuating cop changing mechanism 2|. The entire cop changing operation ends at the same time that stud 20 on the rising piston rod engages pivoted arm 12 and raises it against the tension of spring 16 (or against the attraction of gravity). This upward movement of arm 12 breaks the contact between contact points 13 and 14', thereby opening circuit B.

Stud 29 controls a third circuit, circuit C, which is not completely shown in the drawing. In Fig. piston rod 23 is shown in its lowermost position, as is stud 29. In this position stud 20 engages pivoted arm 11 against the tension of spring 18, thereby effecting contact between contact point 19 on arm 11 and fixed contact point 00 and closing circuit C. Included in circuit C are the following elements: contact points 19 and 00, conductor 8i, terminal 82, T-shaped member 64, contact point 65, conductor 66, loom switch 20, source of electric current I9, conductors I and I10, electromagnet I21, conductors I11 and I18, arm 11 and back to contact point 19. The rest of circuit C is shown in my co-pending application above identified, as is fourth circuit, circuit D, which is made when T-shaped member 64 pivots and engages contact point I59 and terminal 83. Stud 29 also controls circuit D.

Neither circuit C nor circuit D forms any part of the present invention except as shown in the drawing and herein described and claimed. It

suflices to describe these circuits as the general loom circuits; breaking them stops the loom. Hence when stud 20 engages arm 11 and causes contact between contact points 13 and 00. these circuits may be made, and when stud 2| releases arm 11 and spring 10 causes contact points 10 and 00 to separate. these circuits must be broken and operation of the loom stopped.

It will be understood that contact points 10 and 00 are normally in contact with each other. It is only when the cop is exhausted and the cop changing mechanism goes into operation that these points become separated.

During the operation of the loom, switches I00 and IOI are alternately closed andopened according to whether the shuttle which actuates them enters the left hand box I02 or the right hand box I03. In Fig. l the shuttle is shown in the left hand box. In consequence switch III is closed, electromagnet I04 is energized, valve I05 is opened, fluid motor I06 is actuated, T- shaped member 64 is caused to pivot to the right and to make contact with contact point 02 an instant before it makes contact with terminal 32.

Circuit C is now closed. If the shuttle had been,

situated in the right hand box I03, switch III would have been closed, electromagnet I01 energized, valve I03 opened, fluid motor I00 actuated, T-shaped member 64 caused to pivot to the left and to make contact with contact point 03 an instant before making contact with terminal 33. Circuit D would now be closed.

If at this time weft cop feeler is brought into contact with an exhausted cop in said shuttle, switch 5| is caused to close and circuit A is made. The mechanism that performs this service is shown in Fig. 3. It operates integrally with the 100111. when the transfer mechanism of the beat up motion of the loom (speaking now particularly of the loom described in the aforementioned co-pending application) is made to oscillate, an arm IIO on the drum shaft III actuates lever II2 through the instrumentality of pivotally connected rod H3. The lever engages the axially movable parts of weft cop feeler I0 and causes feeding rod 52 to move into shuttle box and in the direction of the cop. If the cop should be exhausted, the previously described cop changing operation is performed. The weft cop feeler is made to work every time a beating up operation takes place, but unless the shuttle is located in the right hand box I03 circuit A will not be closed and the cop changing operation will not take place. The reason is clear. Only when the shuttle closes switch MI in the right hand box will T-shaped arm 64 be in contact with contact point 82 and unless there is such contact, circuit A cannot close.

In Fig. 7 one of the two weft feeling forks shown in Fig. 10 is shown in detail. It comprises a pivoted weft fork I20 having a counterweight I2I adjustably fixed to its rear end to maintain its tined end in its normally raised position. A vertically movable rod I22 is adlustably fixed at its upper end by means of nut I23 to the weft fork at a point between the fulcrum I24 and the tines I25. At its lower end, rod I22 is pivotally fixed to pivoted armature I26 which is actuated by electromagnet I21. A second rod I20 is pivotally fixed at its upper end to the weft fork between its fulcrum and its counterweight. At its lower end rod I28 is adjustably fixed by means of nut I23 to pivoted arm I30. A contact point I3I on pivoted arm I30 engages a fixed contact point I22 when said pivoted ar'm I30 is raised. This occurs when electromagnet I'2l is energized attracting armature I26. .The tined end of the weft fork is brought down'and the weighted end raised. This causes arm I30 to pivot upwardly and to bring contact point I3I into engagement with contact point I32.

The place of the two weft forks in the general operation of the loom is shown in Fig. 10. It will be seen that a conductor I33 connects fixed contact point I32 to conductor 6| at a point between contact points 62 and 51. Another conductor I34 connects pivoted arm I30 to conductor 42 at a point between key 56 and contact point 38. It

thus becomes clear that when'contact points I3I and I32 are brought into engagement with each other, a circuit is closed which starts the cop changing operation above described. This new circuit, circuit E, performs the same function as circuit A above mentioned and, indeed, it is that circuit with the weft cop feelers key 56 and contact point 51 omitted.

Let us assume that the shuttle enters the right hand box with the weft end broken. The electromagnet I2! is energized through circuit C. It attracts armature I26 and brings down the tined end I25 of fork I20. Normally, the tines would meet the weft across the grid and further downward movement of said tined end would be prevented. But inasmuch as in the assumed case the weft is absent, the tines of'the fork will sink into the recess of the lay I36 and the weighted end of the fork will rise'suiiiciently to effect contact between contact points I3I and I32. Circuit E is now closed and the aforesaid cop changing operation begins. 5

If it be further assumed that the cop changing operation was not properly performed and that the shuttle is thrown across to the left hand box without leaving the weft end in the shed, the second weft fork I35a which is identical with weft fork I20 comes into play. It constitutes the weft stop motion analogous to the warp stop motion herein referred to. Circuit D energizes electromagnet I'2'Ia and the tined end of weft fork I35a is brought down and the weighted end raised until contact is made between contact points l3Ia and I32a. It will be seen that a conductor i3l connects contact point I32a with conductor 67, and that a conductor I38 connects pivoted arm i30a which carries contact point I3Ia with contact point 69. A circuit F is now closed which includes the following elements: source of current I9, loom switch 20, conductor 61, conductor I31, contact points I32a and I3Ia, pivoted arm 536a, conductor I38, contact point 69, T-shaped member 64, conductor 66 and back to loom switch 20 and current source I9. Circuit F is literally a short circuit. Since loom switch 20 is an overload switch which automatically cuts off the current whenever a short circuit occurs, switch 20 will now break not only circuit F but also circuit D and the operation of the loom will stop.

Referring now to Fig. 9 as well asto Fig. 10, the warp drop wire elements shown are conventional and need not here be described in detail. When warp thread I40 breaks or becomes slack, the drop wire I drops and contact is made between it and drop wire bar elements I42 and I43. which are insulated from each other. It will be seen in Fig. 10 that a conductor I44 connects element I42 to conductor 68 and that conductor I45 connects element I43 to conductor 66. Thus, when drop wire I4I connects elements I42 and I43 a circuit G is made which comprises the following elements: source of current I9, loom switch 20, con- 6 ductors 61, 68 and I44, element I42, drop wireIlI, element I43, conductors I45 and 66 and back to loom switch 20 and current source I9. Likecircuit F, circuit G is literally a short circuit and it causes loom switch 20 to stop all current from the source.

A taut thread I40a maintains drop wire In in elevated position, thus'preventing contact from being made between elements I42a .and I430 through said drop wire I4Ia. Should thread I40a break or become slack then drop wire I4Ia would fall and engage elements I'42a' and H311. A circuit H would thereupon be made including the following elements: source of current I3, loom switch 20, conductors 61, 66, I44, I46, element I42a, drop wire I4Ia, element I43a, conductors I41, I45, 66 and back to loom switch 20 and source of current I9. Again the circuit is a short-circuit and all current is shut off at the loom switch.

It is clear that only a preferred embodiment of I my invention has been shown and described. Variations may be had therein without departing from the broad principles of the invention. Thus, instead of using compressed air to actuate the cop changing mechanism other means may be used, such as hydraulic means, or mechanical or electrical means. The invention has been shown as applied to a loom of my own invention. It may be applied to any loom.

I claim:

1. In a loom control system including an electric circuit operating said loom, a cop changing mechanism, a normally open electric circuit controlling said cop changing mechanism, circuit breaking means controlled by said cop changing mechanism which breaks the loom circuit when the cop changing operation begins, a cop feeler, and circuit closing means controlled by said cop feeler which closes the cop changing circuit to start the cop changing operation when contact is made with an exhausted cop.

2. In a loom control system including an electric circuit operating said loom, a cop changing mechanism, a fluid motor operating said cop changing mechanism, an electromagnet actuating said fluid motor, a normally open electric circuit controlling said electromagnet, circuit breaking means controlled by said cop changing mechanism which opens the loom circuit to stop the loom when the cop changing operation begins, a cop feeler, and circuit closing means controlled by said cop feeler which closes the circuit controlling the electromagnet to start the cop changing operation when contact is made with an exhausted cop.

3. In a loom control system including an electriccircuit operating said loom, a cop changing mechanism, a fluid motor operating said cop changing mechanism, an electromagnet actuating said fluid motor, a normally open electric circuit controlling said electromagnet, circuit breaking means controlled by said cop changing mech-,

anism which opens the loom circuit to stop the loom when the cop changing operation begins, a cop feeler, and circuit closing means controlled by said cop feeler which closes the circuit controlling the electromagnet to start the cop changing operation when contact is made with an exhausted cop, a switch actuated by said electromagnet, an electric circuit controlled by said switch, said switch being adapted to switch the electromagnet from the first mentioned circuit which energizes it to start the cop changing oporation, to said switch controlled circuit to con- 4. A cop changing mechanism in accordance with claim 2, a second circuit connected to said electromagnet, a switch controlling said second circuit, and a weft fork which actuates said switch to close said second circuit when the weft fork fails to encounter the weft in its normal location.

6. A cop changing mechanism in accordance with claim 3, a second circuit connected to said electromagnet, a switch controlling said second circuit, and a weft fork which actuates said switch to close said second circuit when the weft fork fails to encounter the weft in its normal location.

ENEAS G. MASCARENHAS.

8 nmrmczs crran The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,960,988 Carroll May 29, 1934 2,146,611 Young Feb. 7, 1939 2,148,700 Inhsse Feb. 28, 1939 2,194,655 Hewton Mar. 26, 1940 2,200,148 Brown May '7, 1940 2,266,474 Payne Dec. 16, 1941 2,300,098 Brooks Oct. 27, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 395,550 Great Britain July 20, 1933 

